The Valkyrie's Bond (Halfblood Rising Book 1)
Page 19
Surprised, Freya had no immediate response. She understood the queen’s sentiment and appreciated it more than she could convey, but she’d also never argued the betrothal her parents had arranged for her, at least not once she’d grown old enough to understand their reasoning.
Despite only seeing him a few months out of the year, Aerelius had been her closest friend. Even at the age of thirteen, the idea of spending her life with someone whose company she enjoyed appealed to her a good deal. But she hadn’t pined for him the last six years. Instead, she’d spent her time experiencing life outside the royal court as best she could. It was a gift she hadn’t realized she’d been given, for which now she was incredibly thankful.
“That’s… quite admirable,” she said quietly as they approached to arched entrance to the hallway. “And much appreciated.”
“As much as I may needle you, Freya, I still care for you,” he told her. “I acknowledge that an arranged marriage may not be your preference, nor is it mine, but I plan to do what I can to make you happy. I’d never… force anything.”
She gave him a shocked look, dumbfounded that he would think she’d think that. “I know, Aer. I’ve never doubted that. Even if I was unhappy with our arrangement, you weren’t the one who chose it. I’m just thankful that we were able to become friends first.” She wrinkled her nose. “If I met you for the first time now, I might kick up more of a fuss.”
He laughed and put his arm around her shoulder. “As if you’re so much more agreeable!”
Grinning, she elbowed his side. “One day, Aerelius, I’ll make you come to regret crossing me.”
He tightened his arm around her shoulder and touched his lips to her hair. “I’d love to see you try.”
Once inside the garden passage, Freya conjured up two balls of light and set them both floating in the air beside them, then gestured for Aerelius to lead on.
They’d gone about ten feet in silence before Freya spoke.
“Alright, I have a question,” she said, looking up at him. “Your powers—what do you do with them? Joking aside, have you learned what practical uses you have for them?”
“Well, I can think of a few practical uses we could find for them,” he joked.
Freya laughed, even as the idea sent wild thoughts through her mind. “Aside from the obvious, have you yet learned how to use them defensively? Offensively? You didn’t use them much in combat.”
“Some,” he told her, turning serious. “Not as much as I’d like, though, which is part of the reason I insisted my parents let me spend the year at Aldridge with you. The ability to increase positive emotions is beneficial, certainly, but as for practical use? No. I’ve yet to have anyone teach me anything aside from fogging the mind, which can be tiring if I hold it for too long.”
Freya pondered that for a moment. “Yes, but that’s still quite useful, if you think about it. It’s simple, and based on your show in Combat, would be quite effective.”
He slid his eyes toward her and smiled. “Perhaps we should practice. Shall I fog your mind again, Freya?”
“Only if you’d like another feather at your throat,” she replied sweetly.
“Again with the death threats!”
“My endearing death threats,” she corrected. They continued down the passageway until they reached the bend, then stopped when they turned the corner and were faced with two tunnels jutting off in opposite directions, both much wider than the one they were currently in.
The pair looked between the passages for a moment, then Aerelius smiled. “Well, Valkyrie, which way should we go?”
Closing her eyes, she drew her shifter senses forward, then she inhaled deeply to take in the scent from each passage. The left carried the scent of dry air, nitre, and dust, while the right held the smell of cave slime and iron.
“The left,” she said after a few moments, opening her eyes and pointing. “It’s a bit cooler, so my guess is that it leads into the palace. The right is heavy with humidity, so it likely leads to one of the underground waterways in the mountain.”
“Afraid of a bit of water?” Aerelius teased.
“I don’t trust you not to toss me in,” she said airily. “But perhaps another day.”
As they navigated toward the left-hand tunnel, Freya let her fingers drift along the wall, adding two more balls of light to illuminate each side so they could watch for anything that might indicate a hidden chamber or passage.
They’d gone another fifty feet or so when a foreign scent pricked at Freya’s nose, wafting faintly from the tunnel ahead.
“Do you smell that?” she asked, stopping.
Aer paused, then sniffed. “Is that… human?” He looked to her for confirmation, his expression perplexed.
She nodded. “Relatively fresh, too. I thought the king was addressing relations with Jotunheim. Why would a human be here?”
“Here in the palace, or here in this passage?” Aerelius asked.
“Both, I suppose.”
“I don’t have an answer for either,” he replied, frowning down the tunnel where the scent seemed to be the strongest. “My parents meet with Dystonian ambassadors a few times per year, but they generally walk straight through the front door.”
Freya followed his gaze, her curiosity slowly getting the better of her. Lifting her brows, she looked up at Aerelius.
“Well? Shall we continue our exploration, then? Perhaps we can find where he or she came from.”
His confusion giving way to amusement, he smiled down at her. “You’re a terrible influence, did you know that?”
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t have been half as good at my job in Watoria if I hadn’t had a strong sense of curiosity. Come, let’s see where it goes.”
More cautiously than before, they continued down the tunnel, keeping a closer eye out for latches or doors as they neared the bend just ahead.
When they rounded it, they drew up short as they faced a dead end.
Curiously, Freya approached the wall to her right and began examining the mortar between the stones, searching for cracks or openings. “Look around, see if you find anything.”
For the next few minutes, they worked in silence on opposite sides of the passage, easily falling into the routine they’d developed when they were younger. Aerelius relied mainly on his sense of touch, while Freya used her heightened senses of smell and sight to find anomalies in the stones.
Freya turned when Aerelius made a small click with his tongue, signaling her to come close. Silently, she walked to where he stood.
He held a finger to his lips, then pointed at a spot on the wall. Frowning, Freya looked where he was pointing, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
“A keyhole?” she mouthed. Slowly, she bent at the waist to examine the small hole that looked to be cut directly into the stone. Touching her finger to it, she felt a faint draft, but when she attempted to peer through, all she saw was darkness. She gave a sniff, surprised when the only scent that reached her was that of baking bread. Running her fingers along the wall, she felt for cracks or seams where the door might be, but all she felt was stone.
Scratching her head, she straightened and looked at Aerelius, shrugged, then pointed back toward the entrance.
Quickly and silently, the pair returned to the garden, not speaking until they were outside and made certain there was no one else around.
"Come," Aerelius said, taking her hand. “To the drawbridge.”
“Why?” she asked, tugging on his hand to stop him.
“So no one can listen to our discussion through spy holes in the wall."
Freya followed him through the halls of the palace, back out front, and across the yard onto the drawbridge. He sat down on the edge, legs dangling over the side, and held a hand out for her to sit beside him.
"What did you see?" he asked once she sat.
"Nothing," she replied. "A dark room. I could smell bread baking, though, so it seemed we were near the kitchens."
"A dar
kened room near the kitchens that unlocks from the outer side of a secret door?” He took on a contemplative look for a moment, then smiled. "Do you know what this means, Freya?"
She arched a brow. "What does this mean?"
"We've got a puzzle to solve."
She stared at him for a moment, then laughed. “We've also got school, Aer, not to mention all your princely duties, whatever they may be, and a wedding to plan. When, exactly, do you suppose we scour the castle for this puzzling room?"
"You could always revisit the idea of moving in," he said. "Your chambers are already prepared. Right next to mine, in case you were wondering. That would give us all the time in the world.”
"Can you focus, please?" she groaned. “Why in heaven's name is a human sneaking about in the castle?"
"An illicit affair with one of the kitchen staff?" He laughed when she made to ruffle his hair, swatting her hand away. "Well, it could be! You never know.”
“Utterly impossible,” she huffed. “As future king, you should be far more concerned with what creatures are sneaking around your palace.”
“Our palace, you mean,” he said with a sly smile. “And why should I worry when I’ve got you?”
Her eyes widened. “You should worry because—”
He cut her off with a laugh. “Oh, Freya, relax! I plan to do a bit of investigating after you leave, but look at this objectively. If a human has been in the palace tunnels, it’s quite likely my parents know about it and simply don’t want it broadcast to the world. If we start asking questions, they will inevitably be alerted and, knowing my father, our tunnels will be sealed up.” He touched a finger to her chin. “Trust me, we’ll know soon enough.”
She gave him a speculative look. “You seem quite sure of that. What kind of investigating are you planning?”
“What do you think?”
“Fine, but if the human returns…”
“I’ll send word immediately. Now, let’s head back in. Zeke is on duty in the kitchen tonight, so we may be able to persuade him to send extra dessert with dinner to my chambers.”
Freya frowned. “You don’t want to eat with your parents?”
“Heavens, no. My father’s become insufferable half the time now that his reign is ending, and Mother is more concerned with our upcoming nuptials than keeping him happy. So, no, I’d much prefer dinner just the two of us.” He jumped to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. “Now, let me woo you with my powers of persuasion.”
Her eyes widened and she paused in the middle of brushing off her pants. “You aren’t telling me you use your powers on the poor kitchen staff!”
He frowned, then laughed. “Gods above, Freya, what do you think of me? I meant my charm, my ability to persuade people with my words.” Draping an arm around her shoulder, they began to walk back inside. “You should know a thing or two about that.”
“It hasn’t worked on me, yet,” Freya pointed out. “Perhaps they aren’t as powerful as you think.”
“Hasn’t it?” He wound his fingers through her hair. “You’re here, aren’t you? My arm is around you, my fingers are in your hair, and you thoroughly enjoyed our dance at the ball, no matter how hard you try to deny it.”
“Did it occur to you that I’m simply putting into practice what our parents told us to do? You’re to be my husband, after all. People might think I didn’t care for you if I shoved your arm off my shoulders. They might question the truth of our feelings.” Taking his hand, she turned and faced him, then laid her other hand on his chest. Gently, she curled her fingers in the fine fabric of his shirt and tugged him closer, tilting her face toward his. “And now? To those guards watching us from up on the ramparts, it might appear that I’m about to kiss you, pull you into a passionate embrace, unable to help myself, even though we’re out in the open.” She bit her lip, then let her eyes drift to his mouth before meeting his heated gaze. “Isn’t that the kind of thing a queen should do with her king? Shouldn’t we be eager to have those meddlesome guards tell everyone what they saw here?”
Aerelius swallowed, then rested a hand on her hip and drew her closer. “Then it would be a shame to risk rumors spreading about our lack of affection,” he whispered, his lips now barely a breath away. “Shall we give them the show they’re looking for?”
Freya smiled, then, though her mind huffed in protest, released the hold on his shirt and smoothed out the fabric. Standing on her toes, she put her lips to his ear. “Ask me again after our second date,” she whispered.
With a groan, the prince let his head fall back, but he couldn’t fight the smile that tilted his lips as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then, without warning, he lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
She let out a squeal, then started beating her fists against his back as he strolled over the drawbridge into the palace.
“Put me down! You are an absolute barbarian, Aerelius Harridan!”
He laughed, then swatted the back of her thigh. “And one day, you’ll love me, Freya. Mark my words.”
She huffed. “We’ll see about that,” she muttered.
Chapter 24
The following Thursday, Freya was summoned to the palace, her father instructing her to ride—not fly—with Aerelius after classes completed for the day, along with cryptic instructions to “be careful.”
“So what do they want with you now?” Lea asked as Freya sifted through her wardrobe.
“The king and queen want me and Aer present to meet some foreign guest. Byrric was scant on the details.” Freya sighed. “He tells me nothing and just sends an officer to order me here or there. I’ve half a mind to show up in my training clothes.” Pulling a blush colored blouse from a hanger, she stepped in front of her mirror and held it up to see how it looked with the flowing black pants she’d chosen. Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head, then stripped down to her underclothes and started over.
“I’d go with a dress, personally,” Lea offered. “Foreign guests almost always consist of emissaries or other high-ranking members of court. A dress would suit either.” Frowning, she got up off her bed and walked over to Freya’s wardrobe and began examining her dresses. “We need to make another shopping trip, Freya. You didn’t purchase enough formalwear last time.”
“Yes, another round of shamelessly spending the commander’s money might be a good pick-me-up,” Freya replied with a grin. “I could do with a bit more silk in my wardrobe.”
“Seeing as you’re our next queen, the prudent decision would certainly be to stock up on clothing worthy of royalty,” Lea agreed, pulling out a calf-length dove-gray dress made of soft, gauzy silk. “Accessories, too, of course.”
“Well, for tonight, I’m limited to what’s here.” Freya took the dress from Lea and looked it over, taking in the sleeves that tapered to her wrists, fitted bodice, and open back. Though understated, it had a classically flattering shape. “Yes, this will do.”
After getting dressed and weaving her hair back away from her face into two small twists, she dabbed on a bit of lip rouge and a dusting of shimmer on her eyes. Stepping back to examine herself in her mirror, she gave a nod of satisfaction.
“Now, let’s just hope it satisfies whoever it is I’m to be impressing tonight,” she said.
Lea laughed. “The boys and I will be awaiting details later.”
Blowing her a quick kiss, Freya draped a matching cloak over her arm and left.
When she stepped outside, she immediately opened her wings, flaring them wide in the late afternoon sun. Tilting her face to the sky, she considered flying the short distance to the academy gates, then, remembering the dress she wore, opted against giving the students of Aldridge a cheap show.
“Don’t even think about it,” a voice warned.
Freya paused, then let her shoulders slump.
“I’m only going to the gates, Rissen. Am I unable to do even that on my own?”
The tall male came to a stop beside her with Cecilia at his right.
Freya sighed. “No, I simply forgot you two were here. Please don’t take offense.”
Rissen grinned, flashing his bright white teeth. “None taken, my lady. Now, if you’ll allow us to escort you, Cecelia and I will be riding behind you and his highness to the palace.”
As the trio began to walk, Freya studied at each of them. They were a bit of a painting in contrasts—Rissen was tall, broad-shouldered, and dark-featured, while Cecilia was compact, with a pretty face that might fool one into thinking she had little to no strength about her. Like Rissen, her shifted form was a wolf, and a quick one at that, if what Byrric had told her was correct.
“Do you both truly believe guarding me this closely is necessary?”
Cecilia clasped her hands behind her back and exchanged a look with Rissen. “Perhaps not,” she said slowly. “But as our future queen, we, along with our monarchs and your father, would prefer not to deal in uncertainties.”
“Will you continue to be my guards after the prince and I are wed?”
“The Queen’s Guard consists of eight officers,” Rissen replied. “Whether we are included in that will require a discussion between you, your father, and his highness.”
“Alright.” Freya said. “If I’m to have some say, I’ll rely on the both of you to assist me in gathering information on any guards who have potential.”
“My lady, that’s…” Cecilia exchanged a look with Rissen.
“A bit improper,” he finished.
“Why?” Freya stopped and turned to face them both. “If you’ve been assigned to me already, I would imagine you’re well-seasoned, correct? The commander never would’ve given you this assignment otherwise. That means you know the other guards, know who is in the pool from which my personal guard will be chosen.”
“That’s true, but—” Rissen began.
She held up a hand. “Do I seem the type to let my father and husband decide who will protect me, day-in and day-out? Who will follow me around, hovering at my back at all hours?”